US20230400655A1 - Open cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

A fiber optic cassette has a design that eliminates the need for an enclosure or cavity in which to house optical fibers. This fiber optic cassette design can reduce material costs associated with manufacturing the cassette, and can reduce the size of the cassette's footprint while maintaining the ability to organize and interface optical fibers.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/350,109, filed on Jun. 8, 2022, and entitled “OPEN CASSETTE,” the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
• The disclosed subject matter relates generally to fiber optic cassettes
BACKGROUND
• Fiber optic cables are often used as a medium fir telecommunication and computer networking due to their flexibility, high data capacity, and immunity to interference. Since light is used as the data transmission medium, fiber optic cables can carry data over long distances with little attenuation relative to electrical data transmission. Fiber optic cables are used in many types of applications, including local area networks that use optical transceivers, corporate intranets that deploy optical pathways for high-speed transmission of data on a corporate campus, or other such data transmission applications.
• Fiber optic cassettes are often used to organize and manage fiber optic connections within telecommunication wiring enclosures. An example cassette-based system may include a fiber optic enclosure within which are installed one or more fiber optic trays, with one or more fiber optic cassettes mounted on each tray. These fiber optic cassettes typically house optical fibers within an enclosure or cavity defined by the cassette's walls, and include adapters mounted on their front edges on which the fibers are terminated.
• The foregoing is merely intended to provide an overview of communication connector systems and is not intended to be exhaustive. Problems with the state of the art, and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein, may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.
SUMMARY
• The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosed subject matter in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the various embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of the various embodiments. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the various embodiments nor to delineate the scope of the various embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a streamlined form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
• Various embodiments described herein provide a fiber optic cassette having a design that eliminates the need for an enclosure or cavity in which to house the fibers. This fiber optic cassette design can reduce material costs associated with manufacturing the cassette, as well as reduce the size of the cassette's footprint while maintaining the ability to organize and interface optical fibers.
• To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the disclosed subject matter, then, comprises one or more of the features hereinafter more fully described. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the subject matter. However, these aspects are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the subject matter can be employed. Other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the disclosed subject matter will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It will also be appreciated that the detailed description may include additional or alternative embodiments beyond those described in this summary.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
• FIG.1 is a perspective view of an example chamber-less fiber optic cassette.
• FIG.2ais a perspective view of another example chamber-less fiber optic cassette.
• FIG.2bis a top view of the chamber-less fiber optic cassette.
• FIG.2cis a side view of the chamber-less fiber optic cassette.
• FIG.3 is a perspective view of the chamber-less fiber optic cassette with the flange removed.
• FIG.4 is a close-up view of the chamber-less fiber optic cassette with the flange removed.
• FIG.5 is a view of another example chamber-less fiber optic cassette.
• FIG.6 is a view of an example fiber optic rack that can be used to secure and organize multiple fiber optic cassettes.
• FIG.7 is a top view of the left side of a slidable shelf of the rack.
• FIG.8 is a view of a rear side of a front panel of the rack.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• The subject disclosure is now described with reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the subject disclosure. It may be evident, however, that the subject disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the subject disclosure.
• FIG.1 is a perspective view of an example chamber-less fiberoptic cassette100 according to one or more embodiments. Fiberoptic cassette100 can have any suitable size according to the needs of a given fiber optic management application. For example, the width of fiberoptic cassette100 can correspond to the width of a cassette bay of a fiber optic tray (not shown) on which the fiberoptic cassette100 can be mounted, such as a fiber optic tray to be installed within a fiber optic enclosure or cabinet. For applications in which the fiberoptic cassette100 will be mounted directly in a fiber cabling cabinet (e.g., a high-density fiber cabling cabinet) the dimensions of fiberoptic cassette100 can correspond to those of a cassette bay of the cabinet.
• The main body of the fiberoptic cassette100 comprises aplate102 on which anorganizational structure110 is mounted or formed. Theorganizational structure110 is configured to organize, route, or secure optical fibers. Arear adapter106 is mounted on arear edge112 of theplate102. A multifiber connector that terminates a fiber optic cable (not shown) can be plugged into rear-facingreceptacle114 of therear adapter106. Another multifiber connector that terminates a fiber optic pigtail (not shown) can be plugged into the front-facingreceptacle120 of therear adapter106, and individual fibers of the pigtail can be separated out, traversed along the surface of theplate102, and terminated on the rear sides of fiberoptic adapters104 mounted on the front edge of theplate102. Theadapters104 provide connectivity between the individual fibers terminated on the rear sides of theadapters104 and other fibers (not shown) plugged into the front-facing receptacles of theadapters104 using fiber optic connectors. Theadapters104 can be configured to accommodate substantially any type of fiber optic connector, including but not limited to Lucent connectors (LC), Subscriber Connector (SC), multi-fiber connectors (MPO, MTP), mini duplex connectors (MDC), or other types of fiber connectors.
• Theorganizational structure110 can be used to organize the optical fibers; e.g., by holding loops of excess fiber, by routing the fibers to theirrespective adapters104, by maintaining separation between fibers, or by supporting the fibers in other ways.Organization structure110 may also comprise one or more splice holder configured to hold fiber optic splices that connect ends of incoming optical fibers to ends of patching fibers.
• In some embodiments, the fiberoptic cassette100 may also include an integratedlatching mechanism116 that locks thecassette100 in place on a tray or other mounting surface as part of a multi-cassette assembly module. In the illustrated example, thelatching mechanism116 is configured to engage with an aperture on a mounting surface (not shown) such that, when thecassette100 is fully installed and locked into position, thelatching mechanism116 prevents forward and rearward movement of thecassette100. Thelatching mechanism116 includes a front-facingrelease latch108. Pressing therelease latch108 disengages thelatching mechanism116 from the aperture of the mounting surface, allowing thecassette100 to be removed.
• Theplate102 that makes up the main body of thecassette100 includes no walls along itsrear edge112 or along one or more of itsside edges118, and thus does not define a chamber, enclosure, or cavity within which the optical fibers are housed. That is, thecassette100 is designed to be chamber-less, such that the optical fibers rest on the top surface of theplate102—or are secured in place by theorganizational structure110—without being housed or enclosed within a chamber or cavity. Moreover, theplate102 does not interface with a top covering or lid that would, together with theplate102, define an enclosed chamber.
• In some embodiments, the optical fibers can be covered or protected by means that do not involve housing the fibers within a chamber or cavity. For example, after optical fibers have been routed from therear adapter106 to theadapters104, at least a portion of theplate102 can be wrapped with a heat-shrinkable material or another type of form-fit or snug-fitting material to protect the fibers from damage and to secure the excess fiber in place. In another example, at least a portion of the top surface of theplate102 can be coated with an epoxy resin or another type of coating to protect and secure the fibers. Other chamber-less means for protecting the fibers are also within the scope of one or more embodiments.
• FIGS.2a,2b, and2care a perspective view, a top view, and a side view of another example chamber-lessfiber optic cassette200 according to one or more embodiments.Cassette200 comprises a flatmain plate208 and a raisedrear plate212 attached to a rear end of themain plate208 by twoside arms220aand220b. The raisedrear plate212 is elevated relative to themain plate208. Arear adapter214 is attached to a bottom surface of the raised rear plate212 (seeFIG.2c). A multifiber connector that terminates an incoming fiber optic cable (not shown) can be plugged into a rear-facingreceptacle224 of therear adapter214. Another multifiber connector226 (seeFIG.2c) that terminates a fiber optic pigtail can be plugged into a front-facingreceptacle228 of therear adapter214. Routing of the optical fibers of the pigtail from themultifiber connector226 to the front adapters202 of thecassette200 will be described in more detail below.
• Adapter retainers230 can be formed along the front edge of themain plate208 of thecassette200. Theseadapter retainers230 are configured to receive and holdfront adapters202aand202b. Each of thefront adapters202aand202bcomprises a row of front-facingadapter receptacles204 that are each configured to receive a fiber optic connector that terminates an optical fiber (not shown). Corresponding rear-facingreceptacles238 of thefront adapters202aand202bare configured to receive optical fiber connectors216 (seeFIG.2c) that terminate the individual fibers of the fiber optic pigtail (that is, the fiber optic pigtail whosemultifiber connector226 is plugged into the front-facingreceptacle228 of the rear adapter214). As in the example embodiment illustrated inFIG.1, the adapters202 can be configured to accommodate substantially any type of fiber optic connector, including but not limited to Lucent connectors (LC), Subscriber Connector (SC), multi-fiber connectors (MPO, MTP), mini duplex connectors (MDC), or other types of fiber connectors.
• Aflange206 is configured to mount on a top of theadapter retainers230, or otherwise mount to a front side of the chamber-lessfiber optic cassette200. Theflange206 comprises abase section240 that mounts to the top of the adapter retainers230 (or otherwise attaches to a front portion of the cassette200) and anextended section232 that extends toward a rear side of thecassette200. While theflange206 is mounted to the top of theadapter retainers230, theextended section232 is positioned above thefiber optic connectors216 of the individual fibers of the pigtail. Theflange206 is a planar structure, lacking front, rear, or side walls (that is, theflange206 has no walls on its front, rear, or side edges), and therefore does not enclose any of the fiber optic connectivity components within any type of chamber or enclosure. In some embodiments, as shown inFIG.2c, the plane of theextended section232 of theflange206 can be lower than that of thebase section240, such that theflange206 has a stepped-down profile.
• Aflat sandwich assembly210 is mounted to a top surface of themain plate208 of the cassette between the raisedrear plate212 and theadapter retainers230. Thesandwich assembly210 protects the individual fibers of the fiber optic pigtail that are routed from themultifiber connector226 to the rear-facingreceptacles238 off thefront adapters202a,202b.FIG.3 is a perspective view of thefiber optic cassette200 with theflange206 removed, allowing theindividual fibers302 and their connections to thefront adapters202a,202bto be viewed.FIG.4 is a close-up view of thecassette200 with theflange206 removed, allowing the two layers of thesandwich assembly210 to seen more clearly.Sandwich assembly210 comprises two or more flat layers made of a suitable flexible material. The layers, and thesandwich assembly210 as a whole, are C-shaped and comprise twocurved arms234aand234bthat arch in opposing directions and whose ends face one another across themain plate208 in the width-wise direction. The layers, and thesandwich assembly210, also comprise atail section236 that extends toward the rear side of thecassette200 and faces themultifiber connector226 plugged into therear adapter214. Thesandwich assembly210 is affixed to the top surface of themain plate208 such that the plane of thesandwich assembly210 is substantially parallel with the plane of themain plate208.
• Theindividual fibers302 of the fiber optic pigtail terminated by themultifiber connector226 are routed between the layers of thesandwich assembly210 such that thefibers302 enter thetail section236 as a group and are evenly divided between the twocurved arms234aand234b. In the example depicted inFIGS.3 and4, the pigtail comprises eightoptical fibers302, and therefore fouroptical fibers302 are routed through each of the twocurved arms234aand234b. Eachoptical fiber302 exits the end of its correspondingcurved arm234aor234band is plugged into one of the rear-facingreceptacles238 of thefront adapters202a,202b. The lengths of thecurved arms234aand234bare such that a sufficient length of eachoptical fiber302 is exposed to allow theoptical fiber302 to be easily manipulated during assembly; e.g., to plug the fiber'sconnector216 into the rear-facing receptacle324 of its correspondingfront adapter202a,202b. When theflange206 is mounted to the top of theadapter retainers230 as shown inFIGS.2a-2c, theextended section232 of theflange206 is positioned above thefiber connectors216 and the exposed portions ofoptical fibers302.
• The layers of thesandwich assembly210, as well as the portions of theoptical fibers302 that reside between the layers, can be held together using any suitable mechanism or material. In an example embodiment, the space between the two layers can be filled with an epoxy resin or another durable, heat-resistant material. The layers of thesandwich assembly210 and theoptical fibers302 can also be bound together using shrink-wrap or a vacuum sealing technique.
• FIG.5 is a view of another example chamber-lessfiber optic cassette200 according to one or more embodiments.Cassette500 comprises aplate504 that extends from an end of ahollow tail section502. Arectangular bracket510 is formed on the front edge of theplate504 and is sized to holdfiber optic adapters512, each of which comprises multiple front-facingadapter receptacles514. Individualoptical fibers506 of a multifiber pigtail are terminated on rear-facingreceptacles520 of theadapters512; e.g., by terminating eachoptical fiber506 with afiber optic connector508 and plugging the connector into one of the rear-facingreceptacles520. Theadapters512 provide connectivity between theoptical fibers506 terminated on their rear-facingreceptacles520 and other optical fibers plugged into their front-facingreceptacles514. The segments of theoptical fibers506 that traverse between thetail section502 and theadapters512 are not enclosed within a chamber or housing.
• From the rear-facingreceptacles514, theoptical fibers506 traverse across theplate504 and enter anopening518 at a front-facing end of thetail section502. Inside thetail section502, theoptical fibers506 connect to an adapter522 (e.g., an MPO/MTP adapter) installed in the rear-facing end of thetail section502. In some embodiments, the ends of theoptical fibers506 can be terminated to a multifiber plug (not visible inFIG.5) that resides inside thetail section502 and is plugged into a front-facing receptacle of theadapter522. The rear-facingreceptacle516 of the adaptor is exposed through the rear end of thetail section502. Another multifiber plug (not shown) of a multifiber cable can be plugged into the rear-facingreceptacle516 of theadapter522 to interface the fibers of the multifiber cable with theoptical fibers506.
• In some embodiments, the individualoptical fibers506 can traverse through a tube—e.g., a fully formed tube or an open partial tube, such as a ½ or ¾ tube or trough—that resides within thetail section502 between theadapter522 and thefront opening518 of thetail section502. In other embodiments, portions of theoptical fibers506 within thetail section502 can be wrapped with heat shrinkable material or another type of binding material.
• Embodiments of the cover-less andchamber-less cassettes100,200, or500 described herein are not limited to the designs depicted inFIGS.1-5. Rather, any type of cover-less or chamber-less fiber optic cassette on which optical fibers can reside without being enclosed within a chamber, housing, or cavity is within the scope of one or more embodiments. Thecassettes100,200, and500 support optical fiber interfacing, organization, and retention using a simplified form factor that yields a small cassette footprint due to absence of a fiber chamber, enclosure, or housing.
• FIG.6 is a view of an examplefiber optic rack600 that can be used to hold and organize multiplefiber optic cassettes608. Some cassette-based racks comprise a fiber optic enclosure within which are installed one or more fiber optic trays with one or more fiber optic cassettes mounted on each tray. These trays can be slid out of the enclosure to allow access to the cassettes and slid back into the enclosure for containment during normal operation. In such systems, each cassette is typically mounted to an available space on the tray by sliding the cassette between two mounting rails formed on the tray, which hold the cassette in place on the tray. The tray is then slid into enclosure or rack using a suitable guiding mechanism (e.g., telescoping rails or guide channels). Each enclosure typically comprises multiple trays of cassettes, which are installed vertically within the rack in a stacked manner.
• By contrast,rack600 is designed to permit installation of, and access to, thefiber optic cassettes608 without the need to install thecassettes608 on fiber optic trays. Instead, therack600 comprises one or more slidable shelves, with each shelf comprising one or more verticalfront panels602 through which are cutrectangular openings610 configured to retain thefiber optic cassettes608. In the example depicted inFIG.6, ashelf floor612 is attached to atelescoping rail614 mounted to an interior side surface (or vertical surface) of therack600, allowing theshelf floor612 to slide into and out of therack600. Afront panel602ais mounted to the front edge of theshelf floor612. Thisfront panel602acomprises a vertical wall with one ormore openings610 formed through the wall. In the example depicted inFIG.6, thefront panel602acomprises two sections formed by bending thepanel602ain the middle of its length along the vertical axis, yielding distinct left and right sections whose planes face outward from therack600 at respective angles.
• Multiplefront panels602 can be stacked on top of one another to allow morefiber optic cassettes608 to be mounted on a single shelf. In the example depicted inFIG.6, fourfront panels602a-602dare stacked vertically on the shelf. Eachfront panel602 comprises two rows of sixopenings510 on each of its left and right sections.
• FIG.7 is a top view of the left side of the slidable shelf ofrack600.FIG.8 is a view of a rear side of afront panel602 of therack600. Theadapters606 of eachfiber optic cassette608 can be installed through theopenings610 from the rear side of thefront panels602. Theadapters606 can be removably locked in place in theopenings610 using any suitable means, including but not limited to spring-loaded latching mechanisms affixed to theadapters606 or brackets mounted to theadapters606 on the outer side of thefront panel602. This configuration exposes theadapters606 through the front of therack600, allowing individual fibers to be connected to theadapters606 and thereby to the fibers of thecassette608.
• Embodiments of therack600 depicted inFIGS.6-8 can hold and organize multiplefiber optic cassettes608 within a fiber optic enclosure without the need to mount thecassettes608 on the surface of a tray which is then itself installed in the rack. This rack configuration is suitable for use with substantially any type of fiber optic cassette, and is not limited to use with thechamber-less cassettes100,200, and500 illustrated inFIGS.1-5.
• The above description of illustrated embodiments of the subject disclosure, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications are possible that are considered within the scope of such embodiments and examples, as those skilled in the relevant art can recognize.
• In this regard, while the disclosed subject matter has been described in connection with various embodiments and corresponding figures, where applicable, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments can be used or modifications and additions can be made to the described embodiments for performing the same, similar, alternative, or substitute function of the disclosed subject matter without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims below.
• In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. Moreover, articles “a” and “an” as used in the subject specification and annexed drawings should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
• What has been described above includes examples of systems and methods illustrative of the disclosed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every combination of components or methodologies here. One of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “possesses,” and the like are used in the detailed description, claims, appendices and drawings such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

Claims (20)

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic cassette, comprising:

a plate;

one or more fiber adapters located on a front edge of the plate and configured to hold ends of optical fibers; and

a cable adapter located on a rear edge of the plate.

2. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 1, further comprising an organizational structure located on a surface of the plate and configured to at least one of retain, organize, or direct the optical fibers.

3. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 1, wherein the fiber optic cassette is chamber-less.

4. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 1, wherein ones of the optical fibers that are routed from the cable adapter to the one or more fiber adapters along a top surface of the plate are unenclosed.

5. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 1, wherein the rear edge of the plate and one or more side edges of the plate comprises no walls.

6. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 1, wherein the fiber adapters are at least one of Lucent connector (LC) adapters, subscriber connector (SC) adapters, multi-fiber connector adapters, or mini-duplex connector (MDC) adapters.

7. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 1, further comprising a latching mechanism configured to releasably lock the fiber optic cassette in place on a fiber optic tray.

8. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plate and the one or more fiber adapters are wrapped with a form-fit material.

9. A fiber optic cassette, comprising:

a main plate;

fiber adapters located on a front edge of the main plate and configured to hold ends of optical fibers; and

a sandwich assembly comprising two similarly shaped layers and attached to a top surface of the main plate,

wherein the sandwich assembly is substantially flat and comprises two curved arms that arch in opposing directions,

ends of the two curved arms face one another across the main plate in a width-wise direction of the main plate, and

a first group of optical fibers and a second group of optical fibers of a multifiber cable are routed through the two curved arms, respectively, between the two layers.

10. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 9, wherein the first group of optical fibers and the second group of optical fibers exit the ends of the two curved arms, respectively, and terminate on rear-facing receptacles of the fiber adapters.

11. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 9, further comprising a raised rear plate that is attached to the main plate by two side arms and is elevated relative to the main plate.

12. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 11, wherein a rear adapter is attached to a bottom surface of the raised rear plate and is configured to receive a multifiber connector that terminates the multifiber cable.

13. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 9, further comprising a flange comprising a base section configured to mount on a front side of the fiber optic cassette and an extended section that extends toward a rear side of the fiber optic cassette.

14. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 13, wherein while the base section is mounted on the front side of the fiber optic cassette, the extended section is positioned above the ends of the optical fibers held by the fiber adapters.

15. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 13, wherein a front edge of the flange, a rear edge of the flange, and side edges of the flange comprise no walls.

16. The fiber optic assembly ofclaim 9, wherein a space between the two layers is filled with an epoxy resin.

17. The fiber optic assembly ofclaim 9, wherein the two layers are bound together by at least one of a vacuum-sealed material or shrink wrapping.

18. The fiber optic assembly ofclaim 9, wherein the fiber adapters are at least one of Lucent connector (LC) adapters, subscriber connector (SC) adapters, multi-fiber connector adapters, or mini-duplex connector (MDC) adapters.

19. A fiber optic cassette, comprising:

a cable adapter located on a rear side of the fiber optic cassette; and

one or more fiber adapters located on a front side of the fiber optic cassette and configured to hold ends of optical fibers routed from the cable adapter,

wherein the fiber optic cassette comprises no chamber, housing, or cavity within which the optical fibers are housed.

20. The fiber optic cassette ofclaim 18, further comprising a plate on which the cable adapter and the one or more fiber adapters are mounted.

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